The fiberglass construction of modern surfboards is necessary for weight and maneuverability. However, given the harsh surf environment, modern surfboards are prone to accumulating dings, which are dents or other damage due to collision with rocks, etc. Dings also occur as the result of travel, especially as it is becoming more common for surfers to bring their surfboards to experience surfing at locations around the world. In fact, surf travel is a sizable niche in the travel industry.
Several products exist to address the problem of surfboard damage during travel. These products each have various drawbacks, which in many cases can be categorized as follows. First, the product's performance does not warrant the price. Second, many products have difficulty achieving a custom fit, as necessary for varying sizes of surfboards. For example, some products include bags in which a surfboard may be inserted, where the bag is equipped with foam for ding protection. Unfortunately, these products are not adjustable and further lack protection against sudden sharp impacts. Other products work to focus protection on the nose or tail of the surfboard. However, these lack protection of surfboard rails. Still other products protect the nose, tail, and rails, but not to a sufficient degree, and not in a way that is adjustable to fit varying sizes of surfboards. Additional attempts at protecting surfboards include large hard suitcases in which a surfboard may be stored during travel. However, such solutions are generally very heavy and expensive.
In more detail, surfboard protection devices have been disclosed in, e.g., the Geronimo (U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,952), Mori (U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,451 and Joyce (U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,495) patents. All three designs describe a molded, wrap-around protector. None of these designs, however, provide both comprehensive protection of key areas such as the nose, tail, and rails, nor are they especially versatile to use. Joyce (U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,495) discloses a nose bumper that affixes to the tip of a surfboard by means of an adhesive. Triangular-shaped cut outs are made along its upper and lower walls to increase its flexibility. Although form-fitting, the design lacks protection in the tail and rails and is a permanent fixture. Mori (U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,451) utilizes a system of partial covers to protect the surfboard. These are forced on non-adhesively and fastened by belts. The coverage provided is limited, and it may be unwieldy to transport the numerous parts and awkward belts. Geronimo (U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,952) employs a design that provides protection of the areas most susceptible to damage. His design, however, is non-adjustable and would fit the form of just a single surfboard. A user would be required to purchase a custom cover for each surfboard owned.